Steal across the sky

I really like Nancy Kress' ideas and perspectives. The premise of this book, which I won't outline, because it's spoilerish, is great, and fascinating. She does a great job of predicting what human beings will do in this scenario, and it is an engaging read - hard to put down.

I'm docking a star because there could be a bit more character depth, and there are a few hanging chads I didn't like. But it was a very enjoyable read.

I wonder how many people see the opening about aliens advertising on the internet, and pick up this book thinking it will be funny? It's not. It is very interesting, and parts of it are moving. Aliens show up, wanting to atone. They take volunteers to visit two other planets, where they will learn what the aliens need to atone for. It's difficult to talk about the book after that, without spoilers. There's mortality, loss, and politics.